[Platapuss13]

...

 

[pp312]

Nice review, well written and laid out. I like especially that you haven't divided your sound impressions into Bass, Mid Treble etc, which I find off-putting as I never listen to specific areas of the frequency range in isolation. Just a couple of points: the clamping effect of the 650 dissipates after a couple of weeks and isn't a factor. I haven't actually heard the DT990 but I'm familiar with the DT880 and if the 990 is in any way similar then anything will seem rather lush and laid back by comparison, maybe even dull. This is the trap with comparing very different headphones: it's hard to tell where the neutral line is. I personally find the 650 very neutral so I'm intrigued by your conclusion that "By no means are these neutral phones." Maybe you can expand on that aspect.    

 

[Platapuss13]

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[TheWuss]

thanks for sharing, Platapuss.
i agree with you regarding the DT990.  a very underrated headphone around these parts.
 

 

[holland]

Nice impressions.  See if you can make a 120-ohm adapter for the DT990s.  I think Beyer designs around a 120-ohm headphone jack.

 

[Satellite_6]

"The HD650s are very musical." whaa? I don't think so.
 
I agree they aren't neutral, but to me they are too bright and the highs are way too loud.

 

[Digital-Pride]

Quote:

"The HD650s are very musical." whaa? I don't think so.
 
I agree they aren't neutral, but to me they are too bright and the highs are way too loud.

Wha..?  The HD650s too bright?  That's one trait that's not used too often when describing these headphones.

 

[pp312]

Quote:

Quote:

"The HD650s are very musical." whaa? I don't think so.
 
I agree they aren't neutral, but to me they are too bright and the highs are way too loud.

Wha..?  The HD650s too bright?  That's one trait that's not used too often when describing these headphones.

You remember how they work out the scores in the Olympics--they eliminate the highest and lowest to help prevent bias. I think we might have to start doing that on Head-Fi. 

 

[pp312]

Quote:

pp312, 
I see your point and I agree its difficult to find a neutral line. I own the Thinksound Rains and find them neutral overall. I think indirectly I may have used those as a baseline. I view the HD650 as being more on the warm side of neutral and perhaps I worded it too definitively (and made them seem more than they really are). Otherwise, I still find them very lush and involving. 
 
As for the clamping effect, thanks for pointing that out. More specifically, those with a normal head, it will be a non-issue. Those with larger ones may notice it at first but more than likely, do to break-in, the clamping will turn into a non-issue. The HD650s are indeed comfortable HPs, as are the DT990s.

Okay, I just googled the ThinkSound Rains, which of course I'd never heard of. Can't comment specifically, but I would doubt if these are quite up to the task of providing a neutral baseline to judge $400 full-size headphones. Not trying to rain on them or anything (pun) but I'm sure you get my point. As for the 650s, I would agree they're very slightly veiled, but I use an integrated amp with just a touch of treble boost which eliminates that effect. Otherwise I wouldn't call them on the warm side of neutral so much as on the warm side of nearly every other headphone, which is a different thing.
 
As for 650s comfort, even if you're the Elephant Man you only need to bend the metal part (not the plastic) of the headband slightly to relieve the clamping effect. They're very handy that way.   
 
Thanks again for the review.

 

[Platapuss13]

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[Satellite_6]

 
Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

"The HD650s are very musical." whaa? I don't think so.
 
I agree they aren't neutral, but to me they are too bright and the highs are way too loud.

Wha..?  The HD650s too bright?  That's one trait that's not used too often when describing these headphones.

You remember how they work out the scores in the Olympics--they eliminate the highest and lowest to help prevent bias. I think we might have to start doing that on Head-Fi. 

 
Maybe we should ignore grandpas that can't hear?

 

[pp312]

Quote:

 
Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

"The HD650s are very musical." whaa? I don't think so.
 
I agree they aren't neutral, but to me they are too bright and the highs are way too loud.

Wha..?  The HD650s too bright?  That's one trait that's not used too often when describing these headphones.

You remember how they work out the scores in the Olympics--they eliminate the highest and lowest to help prevent bias. I think we might have to start doing that on Head-Fi. 

 
Maybe we should ignore grandpas that can't hear?

Hey, hang on, at 64 I resemble..er, resent that remark!

 

[donthuang]

75+ hours is too short to make serious "review".

 

[jasonb]

Quote:

pp312, 
I see your point and I agree its difficult to find a neutral line. I own the Thinksound Rains and find them neutral overall. I think indirectly I may have used those as a baseline. I view the HD650 as being more on the warm side of neutral and perhaps I worded it too definitively (and made them seem more than they really are). Otherwise, I still find them very lush and involving. 
 
As for the clamping effect, thanks for pointing that out. More specifically, those with a normal head, it will be a non-issue. Those with larger ones may notice it at first but more than likely, do to break-in, the clamping will turn into a non-issue. The HD650s are indeed comfortable HPs, as are the DT990s.

the Thinksound Rain is far from neutral:

 
they are pretty damn bass heavy from the looks of it. the whole downward slope makes them far from neutral.
 

 

[Platapuss13]

...
 
Quote:

Quote:

pp312, 
I see your point and I agree its difficult to find a neutral line. I own the Thinksound Rains and find them neutral overall. I think indirectly I may have used those as a baseline. I view the HD650 as being more on the warm side of neutral and perhaps I worded it too definitively (and made them seem more than they really are). Otherwise, I still find them very lush and involving. 
 
As for the clamping effect, thanks for pointing that out. More specifically, those with a normal head, it will be a non-issue. Those with larger ones may notice it at first but more than likely, do to break-in, the clamping will turn into a non-issue. The HD650s are indeed comfortable HPs, as are the DT990s.

the Thinksound Rain is far from neutral:

 
they are pretty damn bass heavy from the looks of it. the whole downward slope makes them far from neutral.